Updated: Massive Historic Tree Down Across Ponce Near Post Office
Decatur Metro | June 22, 2011
UPDATE III: According to Andisheh, power is still out north of Ponce all the way up to Thinking Man.
UPDATE II: As of 7:30p they were beginning to cut up the tree. New – and better! – pic above from Jason.
UPDATE: I’ve confirmed that the tree down across Ponce is indeed the one added to the Georgia Urban Forest Council’s Landmark and Historic Tree register last year. I couldn’t get a good shot of it, but it is completely hollow on the inside.
It’s a massive tree – my new pic above doesn’t do it justice. It’s going to be a while before Ponce reopens.
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Mark sends in a pic from the patio of Dancing Goats and reports that as storms made their way through Decatur 30 minutes ago, a tree feel across West Ponce de Leon Ave near the Post Office, just past the five-way intersection with Nelson Ferry Road. He reports that a police car was passing the scene right as the tree was fell, so the response time by DPD and the Fire Dept was nearly instantaneous.
I haven’t seen it yet, but by his account, the down tree sounds like the one that Neil Norton got placed on the Georgia Urban Forest Council’s Landmark and Historic Tree Register late last year. If so, it’s not only a big mess for the community, but a sad event.
Here’s the Google Streetview of that cluster of trees.
I think it was because while I didn’t get a close up view, it was a HUGE tree that was down. I don’t know of any other trees that big on that side of the street really.
Yep, now looking at the google maps pic, that had to be the tree. Very sad, but, more importantly, hopefully nobody was hurt.
This bums me out to no end, but if it had to go, it kind of feels better that it was a bolt of lightning that did it, rather than the actions of people or a long, slow death from disease (which sounds like was already taking its toll). And yes, it would be incredibly fortunate if no one was hurt on that very busy thoroughfare.
Wonder if we could procure the lumber for the next Decatur bonfire?
Not sure it was lightning now. See no evidence of that. Looks like it just fell over in the wind. Seriously hollow. Makes me wonder if this was known when it was deemed historic last year.
Also just saw the mayor surveying the damage.
Or, what about taking that lumber and donating it to Habitat for Humanity?
If the tree was as hollow and compromised as has been indicated, it’s doubtful the wood would be useful for construction.
I think he was being snarky. That’s his usual tone.
I’ve heard that a couple large trees are also down at the Solarium property in Oakhurst. No building damage, but a couple of cars crushed.
We left McKoy pool right when the rain started about 4:15 and saw a huge tree down in the front yard of the Solarium. We then drove across town and came out right by St Thomas More and drove over the downed power lines. It was raining so hard at that point it was hard to even see them. We then had to turn around in the post office parking lot due to the fallen tree across Ponce. There were already a bunch of emergency vehicles on the scene. It was a crazy ride through Decatur to say the least!
Seriously, I am shocked no one was hurt. I was in the park across the street* with my toddler and baby, waiting on a friend and her children. I had been watching that way because I thought that it would be the way my friend would be coming. In the few minutes beforehand, I saw several cars, a mom with a jogging stroller and a couple walking. It was a complete miracle of timing. No joke.
*Nope, I’m not a bad mother. The sky turned dark and the weather started happening so quickly. When the tree fell, I scooped them up and ran like hell to the car. Then the rain poured down.
Awww, man, I really loved that tree! It was the subject of one of my pictures of the day early last year (and perhaps the first photo taken with my old iPhone after I switched from BlackBerry). Here’s my unedited so-so camera phone memory of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mentalize/4386017770/
so so sad — what an icon of Decatur. can you imagine the changes that tree “witnessed” — if it is true that it was 175 years old, then it was here during the Civil War — just a sapling perhaps .. — but this old behemoth was hollow to the core with a fungus of some kind. so it probably only took a strong gust of wind to topple it ….if you get a chance to check it out tomorrow morning, maybe they’ll leave the trunk for everyone to see — as it is, the firefighters are going to be cutting the tree all night – it is truly a miracle that no one was hurt!!
p.s. if they don’t get the lights fixed, that corner is going to be hellish tomorrow morning with diverted cars. avoid the corner of ponce/northern/nelson ferry.
p.s.s. maybe they can retime the lights when they’re at it– ah. wishful thinking
Just last week I noticed the top of the tree wasn’t looking good at all – a whole section of it without leaves. I took a walk down there this evening to check things out and saw the hollow interior of the trunk.
Even in Carl’s picture, while the tree looks spooky, it is striking that it does not look all that healthy (even knowing that it was taken in winter when leaves are not on trees).
One major contributor to the decline and the ultimate failure of the tree was trenching conducted by an electrical contractor to the Post Office 2.5 years ago. They trenched the southern side of the root zone destroying over 30% of the roots.
It is very typical for older trees to be hallow. What is amazing is that a tree can be hallow and healthy and structurally sound due to CODIT, compartmentalization of decay in trees. When exposed to a pathogen, trees build four walls around the decay sealing it in and often creating hallow spots. The new walls are of extra strength and can have been known to strengthen the tree. Of course it depends what stage the decay is in and where it is. I hope there is something to still look at tomorrow. Thank goodness no one was hurt!
Thank you, treesrock, that is reassuring. I was watching mine nervously during the blow.
Oh, the poor old thing– it might’ve been a little stronger if so much of its root system hadn’t been weakened/killed. Now I’m even sadder than I was!
But your other info on how trees can “block off” their blighted areas was very interesting. I learn something new on this blog every day!
There was/is also a lot of poison ivy in those trees. I can’t understand why they don’t cut it out.
I hope the city crews recognized that last night.
Power wasn’t restored to my block until 4AM. What time did the storm hit? I don’t recall the last time I didn’t have electricity for 11 hours.
The wind started around 4 PM, rain and lightning by 4:15 PM, National Weather whatchamacallit warning by phones at around 4:20 PM. The tree seems to have come down sometime between 4:00 and 4:30 PM according to the posts.
This was a white oak according to the listing on the Georgia Urban Forest Council list of historic trees. I think white oaks can live to be several hundred years old, unlike the pesky water oaks you see everywhere that grow fast and generally start falling apart after less than one hundred years. Hopefully the wood can be sawn up for firewood – white oak is one of the best woods for firewood after a long seasoning process.
I looked at the tree carefully this morning. It appears that the hollow interior was filled with cement around 50 years ago. It also looks like the only thing holding that tree up was the weight of it on the root plate, as the roots themselves were not substantial. The tree was no match for a swirling wind. Very sad, but very happy no one was injured. I counted a ring more than half way up the tree at 75 so I think our estimate of 150-200 is accurate. One larger branch was 62 years old. I realized above I spelled hollow, hallow. It is a hollow tree and hallowed ground but not a hallow tree!
Filled with cement?? How? Why?
Was that you at about 10:15?
(And it might be hallow to a Druid.)
When a neighbor had a tree removed recently, cement was discovered inside it as well. Apparently this is/was a way that a damaged tree was “saved”; it apparently does work, to some extent, or else the tree would have been lost many, many years prior to now! As an aside, and I’m not sure if some of the cement near the base of the tree was due to this (they did not grind the stump due to this), the home owner did remember there being a bomb shelter directly beneath this tree!
So I guess my question would be, is there a way to tell if a tree is on its way out and should be pruned/cut down? All of these fallen trees are freaking me out. I guess maybe you just have to hope you’re not in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it’d be nice to be able to at least check the trees within striking distance of your own house.
you can have a certified arborist come out and take a look at any trees in question. i’m pretty sure arborguard will come out free of charge.
It is hard to tell from a visual inspection sometimes.
I had a friend who was told that her big beautiful tree was dying/dead due to a section of rot that was found. So she had it cut down. When it came down, it was obvious that the tree was still heathy, and just that little portion needed to be treated. She was heartbroken.
There is a test that I have heard of called the resistograph that can measure decay. It is almost like an EKG for trees, and it measures the resistance of the wood to a drill. This test is slightly invasive but does not harm the tree.
But yes, definitely call an arborist.